Six months on - Hezel's reflections on the Bali Conference

Q1. What were the key things you learnt from your experience in Bali?

First I learned to manage my time and take care of myself. I also learned how to prepare and talk to people during a conference. My most important learning is the sad condition of our mother earth and there are rich nations contributing more to global warming. It is encouraging, however, to know tat children like me can help slow down or minimize global warming no matter how small our contribution could be.

Q2. How has your participation in the Bali process changed your views and behaviour?

Some changes actually happened to me while preparing for the Bal conference. As the President of Paraiso Active Youth and Children’s organization (PAYCO), I used to telling my ideas ang making decisions for our children’s organization. Now I seek and consider the views of our group members on what I would share in Bali.

During the conference, I realized how huge was the problem on global warming and its frightening effects to the children like me as well as the future generations. But even though global warming is very discouraging, I know children like me can also help.

Before going to Bali, we just help our community during coastal clean up, tree planting and waste management. But now I know that we have to share the information on global warming to other people and ask our government officials to have programs and projects to prevent global warming

Q3. Since Bali, have you done anything with your friends/school/family on climate change related issues?

I shared my experiences and learnings in Bali to my family and friends. Then I attended our Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) meeting and shared my experiences with the village officials. As a result, our BCPC Chair hlped us to request seedlings from our mayor and he even helped us in our tree planting. The elementary school principal also allowed us to use portion of the school where to plant our seedlings as well as an area for our proposed seedlings nursery. I was also invited to talk during one session of our municipal leaders. Children’s groups in other municipalities have also invited me to talk during their “Baragatan Kabataan” (Children’s Gathering). I have shared to them all the learning from my Bali experience and asked to help or support projects against global warming.